All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)

Third movie on my list. "All Quiet on the Western Front," a WW1 movie. I do enjoy war movies, so this should be good.

Movies Also Nominated:

• The Big House (Drama)
• Disraeli (Biography)
• The Divorcee (Drama)
• The Love Parade (Musical Comedy)

Found On:

• Megavideo (Quality isn't that good)

Play-By-Play:

• Like the previous two movies on my list, the credits show before the movie.
• Starts off with the quote "This story is neither an accusation nor a confession, and least of all an adventure, for death is not adventure to those who stand face to face with it. It will try simply to tell of a generation of men who, even though they may have escaped its shell, were destroyed by the war..." Pretty epic quote.
• First Scene: A man cleaning a doorknob while a woman is cleaning the floor. They discuss the war. Can't tell too much from their accents, probably German.
• Door opens to a busting city street with a bunch of German soldiers marching in the streets.
• A polite postman is seen delivering mail to a Mr. Meyer, the mailman discusses that he is not going to be switching uniforms very soon. His mailman get-up for a Army uniform. He is a Sergeant in the reserves and is going to be called in for duty very soon.
•  Fanfare as the soldiers march down the street.
• Camera pans into a classroom, focusing on an older man speaking to a room full of young men. In an inspiring speech, he tells them that they are the future of the fatherland and tells them that it is their duty to enlist.

• The teacher singles out a couple of the students who look unsure and glace over to another student, Paul Baumer, who the teacher calls the student's leader. Paul stands up and says he will go.
• The students are inspired by his words and rise from the seats and promise to enlist. Random shots of the students with crazy looks in their eyes.

• A group of boys (I assume are going to be the central characters) persuade their nervous classmate to join with them... Peer pressure at its finest. The class starts to sing and leaves the classroom.
• The kids arrive in the training camp, making jokes and talking about how fun the war will be as they file into their bunk room and get ready for training. Kemmerick brags to another soldier about his boots, that belonged to his father, that they are the best in the army.
• And what do you know, Himmelstoss, that postman from the beginning, is back, but not as their friendly neighborhood mailman but as their brutal and harsh drill Sergeant.
• Himmilstoss is an old timey Gunnery Sergeant Hartman (from Full Metal Jacket) He calls them a mess and stupid, but he will train that out of 'em and make them soldiers or he will kill them. He smiles as makes them lay in the mud, march, and sing, berating them all the whole time.

• However, Himmilstoss's methods work. The students seem to be getting better. But they still do not like his methods. So the night before they are set to leave Paul Baumer hatches a plan. While a very drunk Himmilstoss stumbles through the camp, the students trip him, tie him up, spank him with their swords, and drop him in the mud, finally getting their revenge.
• The new soldiers arrive in a war torn town and get their first tastes of the horrors of war as enemy bullets and bombs fly overhead.  Bain, their nervous classmate, has to be pulled up from cover because he is scared stiff. 
• The kids make their way to their bunks and get some hazing from some of the veterans. Paul asks them where they can get some food. The veterans tell Paul about the food shortage but also about Sergeant Katczinsky who knows where some food can be found.
• Enter Katczinsky with a pig on his shoulder. He tells the recruits that they must pay to eat, not money but supplies. They give him what they got and they get to eat.
• While the group is eating, a messenger come in and informs them that they have wiring detail out past the graveyard. As the truck drops the group off and starts to drive away, they watch it fade in the distance with a sad looks in their eyes.
• As they walk to the location for wiring detail, Katczinsky offers them some advice about which shells to worry about and what to do when they come.  
• While stringing up the barbed wire, a bombardment erupts, and one of the kids is blinded by the explosions and runs screaming toward the enemy and is immediately shot. One of the others runs out and retrieves the body, Katczinsky calls him foolish for risking his life for a corpse.

• When they come back to the camp they get word that they got the orders to make a long march to another location.
• Next scene: While the bombs bursting in air, The group is in what looks to be an underground bunker playing cards. The sounds of war have kept them up all night and you can see that its wearing them down. Some of the kids suffer from nightmares and nervous breakdowns. One of the kids starts to run out of the bunker and Katczinsky has to punch him out to stop him.
• Another bomb hits above and part of the bunker's supports fall making a couple of them try to run out. Katczinsky is able to stop one but Kemmerick makes it out but is almost immediately shot in the leg.
• Just as Katczinsky bring the group some food, a bunch of rats invade the bunker and the group has a good old fashion rat stompin' party.
• The bombardment stops and the group heads out for the trenches. Swarms of French infantry rush the German lines, but are caught by the barbwire and machine gun fire.

• A very realistic battle scene with very cool camera sweeps and explosions as the French soldiers advance toward the the German trenches.
• However the French soon make it to the trenches where Paul and his friends are. The French leap into the trenches, shifting the battle to close quarter hand-to-hand combat.   
• The Germans launch their counter attack and succeed in pushing the French back but are mowed down by the French machine guns. The battle ended in a draw, both sides, though much less in number, are back to where they started. The group shares a drink.

• After the battle, the boys stand in line for food but the cook refuse to start until all the company get there. Katczinsky tells him that there are only 80 left after the battle. The cook is angry because he cooked for 150 but he is ordered to give the company double rations.
• After stuffing themselves the group discuss war. They talk about the fact that they are the ones for fight and die but it is the kings and generals who get the glory and the manufacturers and business people who get rich. Katczinsky suggest that they just rope off a field and let the kings and generals battle it out with clubs, best country wins.  
• The boys depart to the dressing station to meet up with their friend Kemmerick who was wounded in battle, and ended up having his right leg amputated. Kemmerick on the verge of death explains that there are robbers who stole his watch while he was under ether. He also tells them about the pain he feels in his right foot. Upon realizing that his leg has been amputated he screams out "They've cut off my leg, why didn't they tell me, I can't walk anymore"
• They try to comfort him but explaining about prosthetic legs and the fact that he can go home soon. As they put his things under his hospital cot one of them sees Kemmericks boots and asks if he can have since he can't use them, Paul tries to stop him.
• Paul stays with Kemmerick as the others leave. Paul talks to the doctor and is told that there is nothing more he can do help his friend. Paul comes back to Kemmerick and tells him about what he can look forward to when he gets back home.

• Kemmerick starts to cry and asks him to take his boots back to his parents and if he finds his watch to take that to. Before he could finish, he dies. Paul runs to find the doctor, but the doctor ignores him. 
• A stunned Paul runs back to the others holding Kemmerick's boots and gives then to Muller, the guy who asked for them earlier. Paul tells him that Kemmerick's death has made him realize how good it is to be alive.
• The next couple shots focus on Kemmerick's boots as Muller is seen marching, running on the battlefield, shooting from trenches, but ultimately killed. Very powerful in showing the futality of war.
• While at rest, the soldiers talk about their families and their lives before the war. Paul says that the older soldiers are lucky because they have something to go back to, he and the others have only school to look forward to when they go back.
• Himmelstoss shows up and joins the fight. Soon after the battle starts, Himmelstoss falls back and cowers after being "mortally wounded" (scratched) the others call him a yellow rat, but soon mans up and runs into battle and is killed.
• Meanwhile, Paul is knocked in the head by debris and takes refuge in a shell hole.Unfortunately for him it is during the French counter attack. Soon, a french soldier jumps into Paul's hiding place, but luckily Paul is able to over power him and stabs him with his bayonet.
• With bullets flying overhead, Paul is trapped with the injured french soldier. He tries to ignore the dying man but the groans and moans make it hard and the explosion lighting the man's face makes it impossible.

• Paul, filled with sadness and remorse, Paul tries to comfort the dying man by giving him water. As morning approaches, Paul having had to listen and see the wounded man all night, become fed up. He yells "Stop it! Stop it! I can bear the rest of it. I can't listen to that! Why do you take so long to die?"
• Paul quickly regret his words and tells the French man that he won't die and he will be alright. But unfortunately it is too late the man dies. The distraught Paul begs the dead man for forgiveness. He searches the man's pocket and finds a picture of the man's wife and child, he promises to take care of them.
• When night rolls around, Paul is able to climb out of the shell hole and make it back to the his camp. After relaying the story to Katczinsky, he is told not to worry about it, that that's what they're there for, and that war is war.
• The soldiers finally get a break. They are seen singing, drinking, and eating in a small town  tavern. Paul and Albert talk about a girls and soon talk about taking a bath.
• While taking a bath in a nearby creek or river, the four Germans see three french girls walking on the other side of the river. The soldiers offer them food, the girls accept, but right before the men swim to the other side, a German guard tells them that the other side of the river is forbidden.   
• Later that night, the boys cross the river, the boys are given some clothes and enjoy the girls company for the night even though they don't speak the same language. Paul tells her that he will always remember her.

• The group is seen marching towards a new offensive, but soon they are fire upon. Paul is injured on his side and his friend Albert has his leg injured. The two are taken to a Catholic hospital. The man in the bed next to Paul tells them about a dieing room, where the nuns take the mortally wounded patients to die, because he never sees any of them brought back.
• Paul is taken out of the room to change his bandaging, but he thinks he is getting taken to the dieing room.
• Albert is brought in to the hospital room. He asks if they cut off his leg, he is given a mirror to see for himself. He sees his missing leg and screams that he would kill himself the first chance he gets because he doesn't want to live as a cripple.
• Paul is wheeled back into the room, joyously yelling that he came back. Later on, Paul is able to leave. As Albert watches him leave he takes out a picture of them and covers up the faces.  
• After his recovery, Paul is given permission to return to his hometown and return to civilian life. He returns home and sees that his mother is bedridden. She starts to cry when shes sees him, because she knows that he isn't her baby isn't back, Paul is a soldier now.

• He leaves the room to change out of his uniform and talks to his sister about his old butterfly collection.
• Next scene: Paul is in a bar with his father and some his father's friends.  The others at the table voice their misconceptions and ideas about the war and Paul tries to tell them the truth without going into to much detail. Paul says,"When you get in it, war isn't the way it looks back here." The others at the table argue as Paul leaves without being noticed.
• He soon comes upon the same professor making the same speech he was giving in the beginning. The teacher sees Paul and asks him to relate to the student some tales of honor and duty. Paul says he can't. However, the professor and the students urge him to make a speech, Paul agrees.
• But instead of the impassioned and heroic speeches they were expecting, Paula delivers a somber and realistic view of the tragedy of war. "It's dirty and painful to die for your country... And it's easier to say it than to watch it happen" The students call him a coward. "Three years we've had of it -- four years. And every day a year, and every night a century. And our bodies are earth. And our thoughts are clay. And we sleep and eat with death. And we're done for, because you can't live that way and keep anything inside you." He leaves.

• Paul and his mother exchanged there farewells, she warns him about woman and the front. She also wants to have him get a safer job when he back. She kisses him before she walks out of the room.
• When Paul returns to his company he is saddened to see that most of the friends were killed and are replaced by new green recruits.
• He finds one of his old friends, Tjaden, he explains about the food shortage and the war. Paul asks about Katczinsky and is pleased to know he is still alive. He sets out to find him.
• Paul finds him on his return to the camp. Kat asks Paul about his leave and is told about the scene at the school and the bar.
• As they walk back, an enemy plane drops a bomb and injures Kat's leg. Paul carries Kat on his back and they talk about their plans for after the war. A second bomb is dropped. Paul yells "You can't get both of us in one day!" The camera shows that the second bomb has killed Kat but Paul doesn't realize it. Paul continues talking to the dead man reminiscing about the first time they met and how he taught them to dodge shells.

• Paul returns to the camp and finally finds out that he is dead. He walks out dazed and saddened by the death of his friend.
• Next scene: Paul is seen resting with the rest of his company in a trench. Paul sees a butterfly. Forgetting all about the dangers of war, he reaches for it. A enemy sniper is seen taking aim and shooting. Paul's hand jerks back and goes limp.
• The last scene shows a huge graveyard and super-imposed ghostly images of soldiers as they look back at the wiring-detail truck leaving (throwback to the scene earlier in the movie)
• The End.

Review:

•  Wow. Such a good movie. If that movie were made today it still would be great. The story was great. Following a group of misguided students transform into soldiers, only to find out that war is not what their father and teachers had told them. Epic action-packed battle scenes and touching and tear inducing scenes as Paul must watch in agony as death surrounds him, however to break the drama there was comedic relief spread throughout. This movie shows the brutal truth about war in a very cinematic way. Technology-wise is also was outstanding with only a few flaws. Reading info about the film it is one of the first movies to use a crane for a few of the shots. For example, the main battle scene show huge camera sweeps across the battle field as both French and German soldiers fall as soon as they enter the frame. There were some audio problems here and there but nevertheless, the movie was very good. The acting was very believable. Paul Baumer played by Lew Ayres was very good and this movie made him a huge star. Did end in a sad note, with Paul's death, but hey this is an anti-war movie, so I understand they didn't want to glamorize war. Overall, a great movie deserving of all it's awards.

Next Movie:

• Cimarron